Health News 02/2018 (Page 7)

Flu kills 6-year-old, military dad is flown home from Germany to say goodbye

New Jersey health officials confirmed Nevaeh Hernandez died from the flu, making her the second pediatric death in the state. (gofundme.com). A 6-year-old child from New Jersey has died from the flu and her father, who was stationed overseas, flew home ...(Feb 14, 2018, Fox News)

Here's why it's so hard to make a better flu vaccine

Imagine you work in a high-security building. It uses facial recognition technology to keep out known intruders. It works well, until someone figures out how to use clever makeup, or even just grow a moustache to game the cameras. No matter how often ...(Feb 14, 2018, NBCNews.com)

Brain-eating worm grows in Florida man's eye

TAMPA, Fla. – It is like something out of a science-fiction movie — a brain-eating parasitic tapeworm living in your eye. Unfortunately for Sam Cordero, it wasn't a movie and the race was on to surgically remove it from his eye, WFTS reports. Taenia ...(Feb 14, 2018, fox2now.com)

Passing on a kidney stone is one of the most physically painful things a person can go through this side of childbirth. And a new study published this week in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests that they're seemingly becoming more common. But by how much ...(Feb 14, 2018, Gizmodo)

She told doctors that she wanted to breast-feed her baby. She explained that her partner was pregnant but was not planning to breast-feed when the child was born, so she wanted to take it on herself. The 30-year-old, who is transgender, was willing to ...(Feb 14, 2018, Washington Post)

Doctor removes brain-eating tapeworm growing in man's eye

Florida man Sam Cordero blamed his Christmas ham feast for giving him the pork parasite -- a brain-eating tapeworm that lodged itself in his eye. (iStock). A meal of undercooked pork nearly cost one Florida man his vision after he contracted a brain ...(Feb 14, 2018, Fox News)

FDA approves first blood test that can help diagnose a concussion

Michael Catania, vice president of product development at Banyan Biomarkers, holds a patient sample. The San Diego company has developed a blood test to help doctors diagnose concussions. (Denis Poroy / Associated Press). The Food and Drug ...(Feb 15, 2018, Los Angeles Times)

(CNN) Doctors remain baffled by concussion-like symptoms that manifested in US government personnel while they were on assignment in Havana, Cuba. Their findings are laid out in a comprehensive medical report published Wednesday on what they found when ...(Feb 15, 2018, CNN)

Ultra-processed foods 'linked to cancer'

A link between highly processed foods and cancer has been suggested by French researchers. They classified foods including cakes, chicken nuggets and mass-produced bread as "ultra-processed". A study of 105,000 people hinted the more of such foods ...(Feb 15, 2018, BBC News)

Doctors find neurological damage to Americans who served in Cuba

Diplomats serving at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba “appeared to have sustained injury to widespread brain networks” there, according to physicians who evaluated them for the State Department. But the physicians could find no definitive cause for their ...(Feb 15, 2018, Washington Post)

Indiana mom arrested for feeding her autistic daughter bleach after Facebook group touted it as cure

A father in Indianapolis last week accused his wife of feeding their child bleach to help cure her autism - something his wife had read about in a Facebook group. Police arrested the 28-year-old mother on Saturday after she allegedly put drops of ...(Feb 15, 2018, Chicago Tribune)

Bed Bugs Found To Poop Chemical Making Humans Sick

Suffering from allergic reactions like a runny nose or skin rash? A new study involving bed bug poop suggests the culprit may be living right in your bedroom. ( Janice Haney Carr | CDC ). Bed bugs are more dangerous to human health than previously ...(Feb 15, 2018, Tech Times)

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have probably already infiltrated your home — and unlike most common chemicals, recent research from Harvard suggests that these substances could have a real and visible effect on your body. PFASs have been on ...(Feb 15, 2018, Fox News)

FDA Approves First Blood Test to Detect Concussion

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 14, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The first blood test to help diagnose a concussion has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Known as the Banyan Brain Trauma Indicator, it could help reduce the need for CT scans and thus ...(Feb 15, 2018, WebMD)

The Best Flu Treatment For You

Do you need Tamiflu? Do antibiotics, steroids, and supplements work? What you must know now. By Hallie Levine. February 14, 2018. 0 SHARES. With this season's flu showing no signs of diminishing—and reports of spot shortages of antiviral medications ...(Feb 15, 2018, ConsumerReports.org)

Alleged Florida High School Shooter Had Ties to New York

At least 17 are dead. The victims include students and adults. Over a dozen are injured, many with life-threatening injuries. It's the third worst school shooting in U.S. history. Cruz, 19, is a former student at the school who was expelled for ...(Feb 15, 2018, Hudson Valley Post)

JoAnn Wooding is staring intently at the clear liquid dripping from a dark brown IV bag into her husband Peter's arm. “Please be the drug, please be the drug,” she says. Married for more than 50 years, the Woodings are among the more than 5 million ...(Feb 15, 2018, TIME)

Flu season is so bad, Pennsylvania's offering flu shots free to anyone; here's how to get them

FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018 file photo, Ana Martinez, a medical assistant at the Sea Mar Community Health Center, gives a patient a flu shot in Seattle. This year's U.S. flu season got off to an early start, and it's been driven by a nasty ...(Feb 15, 2018, LancasterOnline)

Chemicals in nonstick and waterproof items linked to weight gain

There may be some unwelcome side effects to staying dry in the great outdoors. (Photo: Vitalii Matokha/Shutterstock). Chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been used for more than 60 years to make products more stain-resistant ...(Feb 15, 2018, Mother Nature Network)

Transgender woman breastfeeds baby in first recorded case, study says

A transgender woman has been able to breastfeed a baby in the first recorded case of its kind, researchers say. The 30-year-old wanted to breastfeed after her pregnant partner said she did not want to do it herself, according to the Transgender Health ...(Feb 15, 2018, BBC News)

FDA Approves First Blood Test to Help Diagnose Brain Injuries

(CHICAGO) — The first blood test to help doctors diagnose traumatic brain injuries has won U.S. government approval. The move means Banyan Biomarkers can commercialize its test, giving the company an early lead in the biotech industry's race to find a ...(Feb 15, 2018, TIME)

"Health attacks" on US diplomats in Cuba still a mystery says new report

A new report published in JAMA says a clear diagnosis of what happened to trigger the diplomats mysterious health problems in Havana is still missing. (AP). Doctors are releasing the first detailed medical reports about the hearing, vision, balance and ...(Feb 15, 2018, Fox News)

This season's flu vaccine is only 36 percent effective, but experts say you should still get it

This season's flu vaccine offers limited protection against the viruses sweeping the country, with its overall effectiveness of 36 percent falling to 25 percent against the most virulent and predominant strain, according to a government report released ...(Feb 15, 2018, Washington Post)

Transgender Woman Breast-Feeds Baby After Hospital Induces Lactation

When a transgender woman told doctors at a hospital in New York that she wanted to breast-feed her pregnant partner's baby, they put her on a regimen of drugs that included an anti-nausea medication licensed in Britain and Canada but banned in the ...(Feb 15, 2018, New York Times)

Fathers may pass ovarian cancer risk to daughters

US scientists believe they have identified a new gene mutation that can raise the risk of ovarian cancer, and is passed from father to daughter. It is inherited through the X-chromosome and is independent of other known susceptibility genes that women ...(Feb 15, 2018, BBC News)

One small town, two drug companies and 12.3 million doses of opioids

Two of the nation's biggest drug distributors shipped 12.3 million doses of powerful opioids to a single pharmacy in a tiny West Virginia town over an eight-year period, a congressional committee revealed Thursday. The Family Discount Pharmacy in Mount ...(Feb 15, 2018, Washington Post)

In mice, a single vaccine prompts the immune system to fight breast, lung and skin cancers

Researchers are working on a vaccine that launched a strong immune response against breast, lung, and skin cancers in mice. (Getty Images / Moodboard RF). In the field of regenerative medicine, induced pluripotent stem cells have a lot of neat tricks ...(Feb 15, 2018, Los Angeles Times)

First Human Case From New Bird Flu: How Many More Strains Are Out There?

On Christmas Day last year, a 68-year-old woman in southern China came down with the flu. A week later she was hospitalized. The woman eventually recovered, but she spent three weeks in the hospital. The culprit? H7N4, a new type of bird flu. "This is ...(Feb 15, 2018, NPR)

Alzheimer's disease reversed in mice, offering hope for humans, new research shows

"Remarkable" -- that's how researchers are describing the results of a new study done on mice displaying traits associated with Alzheimer's disease. The deletion of just a single enzyme saw the near total reversal of the deposition of amyloid plaques ...(Feb 15, 2018, ABC News)

Girl who died of flu sent home from hospital with 104 degree fever, family says

NORTH BERGEN – Stephanie Conteron had plans to take her daughter Nevaeh to see "Aladdin" on Broadway tonight. But instead of enjoying the show with the beloved 6-year-old, Conteron and her grieving family are preparing for the girl's funeral this ...(Feb 15, 2018, NJ.com)

A group of American diplomats stationed in Havana appear to have symptoms of concussion without ever having received blows to their heads, medical experts have found. The diplomats originally were said to have been victims of a “sonic attack,” a ...(Feb 15, 2018, New York Times)

Flu vaccine just 36% effective this season, CDC reports

(CNN) Flu season is still raging in the United States, yet already it ranks among the most difficult in recent years. One reason: This year's vaccine has been just 36% effective against both A and B virus strains, the US Centers for Disease Control and ...(Feb 15, 2018, CNN)

No, “Sonic Weapons” Did Not Give US Diplomats In Cuba Concussions

A long-awaited medical report finds a cluster of concussion symptoms among 21 US diplomats serving in Cuba in 2016. But it offers no answers on what happened to them. Posted on February 15, 2018, at 3:19 p.m.. Dan Vergano. BuzzFeed News Reporter ...(Feb 15, 2018, BuzzFeed News)

A new study on the US officials who suffered brain injuries in Cuba makes their cases even more mysterious

In late 2016, reports emerged that US and Canadian diplomatic personnel in Cuba were suffering from some sort of brain injury linked to hearing strange sounds. The cause was unclear, though some speculated that a form of sonic weapon could be ...(Feb 15, 2018, Business Insider)

Another 25 flu deaths bring NC tally to 165; season has yet to peak

The number of flu-related deaths in North Carolina dropped to 17 last week, bringing the total for the current flu season to 165, state health officials said Thursday. The week's death toll includes another eight people who died in previous weeks and ...(Feb 16, 2018, Winston-Salem Journal)

Bergen County hosts free clinic to combat late flu season

Free flu vaccines were available at 1 Bergen County Plaza, in Hackensack, Thursday from 4-8pm. The free vaccinations were given just two days after learning a North Bergen girl died from the flu. Thursday, February 15, 2018. Flu Shot. Registered Nurse ...(Feb 16, 2018, NorthJersey.com)

A Brazilian drug trafficker has been praised on social media as a modern-day Robin Hood after he kidnapped two nurses, stole vaccines and syringes and ordered the medical staff to inoculate residents in one of the poorest areas in the country's ...(Feb 16, 2018, Newsweek)

An Out-Of-Network Lab, An Elaborate Urine Test And Then A Surprise Bill

After Elizabeth Moreno had back surgery in late 2015, her surgeon prescribed an opioid painkiller and a follow-up drug test that seemed routine — until the lab slapped her with a bill for $17,850. A Houston lab had tested her urine sample for a ...(Feb 16, 2018, NPR)

CDC: Flu Vaccine Only 36 Percent Effective This Year

Despite its low effectiveness, the center still recommends getting the vaccine to reduce its severity should you become infected. By Alexa Lardieri, Staff Writer |Feb. 16, 2018, at 8:17 a.m.. CDC: Flu Vaccine Only 36 Percent Effective This Year. Share ...(Feb 16, 2018, U.S. News & World Report)

Women who clean a lot at work at risk of increased lung function decline

Women who regularly use cleaning sprays or other cleaning products at work appear to experience a greater decline in lung function over time than women who do not, according to new research. Norwegian researchers concluded that the accelerated lung ...(Feb 16, 2018, Nursing Times)

Researchers Halt The Development Of Alzheimer's Disease In Mice And Partially Reverse Its Effects

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute have demonstrated that gradual reduction of an enzyme that contributes to the development of Alzheimer's Disease can halt the disease's development in mice and reverse some its effects ...(Feb 16, 2018, Forbes)

Fathers May Pass On Increased Risk For Ovarian Cancer To Daughters

A new gene mutation that can raise a woman's risk for ovarian cancer is passed down from her father, scientists say. A team of researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, identified a new kind of mutation, inherited through ...(Feb 16, 2018, Immortal News)

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors May Include Your Father's Genes

Fathers may be partially responsible for passing on to their daughters genetic risk factors for ovarian cancer, a new study published Thursday in PLoS Genetics has shown. By looking at the patterns of cancer within families, researchers found that ...(Feb 16, 2018, Newsweek)

Children's deaths from flu rise sharply amid signs that season may be hitting plateau

This file has been updated. Flu has killed 22 more children, the most reported since the respiratory virus began slamming the country in the fall, according to a government report released Friday. The total number of flu-related pediatric deaths is now ...(Feb 16, 2018, Washington Post)

Women Who Use Cleaning Products Experience More Lung Damage That Women Who Don't, According To A Study

It has been approximately eight months since I bothered to bring a vacuum into my room, but though the resulting dust piles mean I wake up each morning with swollen eyes and a stuffed nose, I might actually be doing my health a favor in the long around ...(Feb 16, 2018, Bustle)

Take a tour of Saint Luke's first micro-hospital [PHOTOS]

Saint Luke's Health System has opened its first Community Hospital at 13200 State Line Road in Leawood. The compact micro-hospital, one of many planned for the metro, offers inpatient and emergency services on a smaller scale. At 17,000 square feet ...(Feb 16, 2018, Kansas City Business Journal)

Doctors are mystified by bizarre 'health attacks' in Cuba

Doctors have released the first detailed medical reports about the concussion-like symptoms U.S. diplomats reportedly suffered during suspected “health attacks” in Cuba — but still cannot explain what triggered the mysterious health problems. The ...(Feb 16, 2018, New York Post)

CRISPR Isn't Just for Gene Editing Anymore

Five years ago, when researchers first discovered that bacterial immune systems could be hijacked to edit DNA in living creatures, it was big news. The technology, called CRISPR, allowed scientists to more easily than ever cut and paste all those As ...(Feb 16, 2018, Gizmodo)